Aimee
by Lindsay-Rose
Summary: Calleigh and Eric have thier first child together. Bears no relation to Missing of One Year Later, but it got me out of a certain piece of work! The first chapter shows the birth, but the story continues through the life of the child over several years.


**CSI:Miami - Aimee**

**Chapter 1 - Babies**

"Keep at it Calleigh!" Eric was saying.  
"Do you want to try this?!" She shot back at him.  
He stopped for a moment, smiled, then gave her a kiss on the head.  
"I know, I know. But you do this and we get something we've been waiting for a long time."  
She smiled for a moment, then the contractions caused her to writhe in pain again.  
"I can't stand this anymore!" She cried, tears and sweat mingling on her face. Then she gave a final push, and their child was born in one hot rush.

Eric stood outside Calleigh's room, pacing up and down. His kid had been in this world for half an hour already, and he hadn't even gotten back in to see her yet! Just then a nurse came out.  
"Mr Delko?"  
He rushed over.  
"Is Calleigh ok? Is my daughter ok?"  
The nurse smiled.  
"Their both fine sir. You can go in now."

Eric rushed past her into the room. He saw Calleigh laying in the bed, propped up on half a dozen pillows. Beside her, in a hospital crib, was his daughter. He ran to Calleigh first.  
"You ok baby?"  
She smiled.  
"Oh yer. Coz that's something I want to do everyday!"  
He grinned back. At least her sense of humour was still intact. He turned to the crib.  
"This her?"  
Calleigh sighed and rolled her eyes.  
"No, I stole that one on my way up here!"  
He grinned again, and reached into the crib to pick up his daughter. Holding her in his arms, he turned to Calleigh.  
"So have you thought of a name yet?"  
She nodded.  
"How about Aimee?"  
He thought about it. Aimee. He gave a nod of his head.  
"I like that."  
They smiled at each other. They only had a few moments together, before Horatio, Ryan and Alexx snuck round the door. Alexx grinned at Calleigh.  
"Oh honey she's gorgeous!"  
Calleigh grinned.  
"Thanks Alexx." She took Aimee from Eric, and passed her to Alexx, who held her tenderly.  
"Hey!" She said gently, rocking the baby back and forth. She looked up at Eric.  
"She got a name then?"  
He nodded.  
"Aimee."  
The others all smiled.  
"That's a great name." Ryan said, speaking for them all.  
Horatio nodded.  
"May I?"  
Calleigh nodded, and Horatio reached forward to take his niece – in – law from Alexx.  
He smiled down at her.  
"Hey Aimee!"  
He held her for a few minutes before passing her to Ryan. Evidently Ryan was not keen on babies, for it wasn't long before he passed Aimee back to Calleigh.  
Calleigh took her with a smile, and placed her back in the crib.

They all stood for a few minutes, not sure what to say. Ryan broke the silence.  
"So we got the guy who shot that co-ed last week."  
Everyone but Calleigh turned to him.  
"Ryan!"  
He shrugged.  
"Just wanted to break the silence."  
Another sound interrupted him, and they all turned to see Calleigh laughing. Through her laughs, she grinned at Ryan.

"Not one of ya'll thought that that was the kind of news I wanted to hear!"

She leant over to hug Ryan.

"Thanks Ryan, I actually did wonder about that."

Ryan smiled sheepishly at everyone.

"S'ok."

Everyone passing by that hospital room heard the muffled laughter, but decided to ignore it. Inside, little Aimee slept on, oblivious of those around her. She even stayed asleep when Natalia Boa Vista joined the group, a bottle of champagne in her hand. She missed the quiet 'Cheers' uttered by every member of the CSI team as they pressed their glasses together in honour of the new baby.

**Chapter 2 - Challenges at work**

Just over a year had passed since that day at the hospital. Calleigh smiled as she looked at her small daughter sitting in her playpen. She was just about to go give her a hug, when Eric strode into the kitchen. He scooped Aimee up and carried her over to where Calleigh was making breakfast.  
"Hello mommy." He said in a baby voice, waving one of Aimee's little arms around. Calleigh smiled at the pair.  
"She isn't gonna start talking yet ya'know."  
Eric sighed, and passed her Aimee.  
"I know, but it's worth encouraging it right?" He grinned, and took his place round the small kitchen table.  
Calleigh nodded, transferring Aimee to her hip as she brought a steaming plate over to him. She plonked it on the table.  
"Eat quickly, We need to be ready to leave as soon as Lori gets here."  
Eric smiled and started eating while Calleigh got Aimee dressed. Lori was the nanny they had hired to care for Aimee while they were at work. It didn't always work, often Lori would rush into the crime lab and hand Aimee over to one of them for a few hours. Aimee had a very close attachment to her mother, and hated to spend more than a few hours away form her.

His thoughts where interrupted by a knock at the door. When he pulled it open, Lori was in the doorway, her bag slung over her shoulder.  
"Hiya!" She smiled as she breezed in past him.  
He rolled his eyes and closed the door.

Just then Calleigh came rushing down the stairs, her coat on and Aimee in her arms. She quickly handed her to Lori, who gave her a smile.  
"In a rush Mrs Duquesne?"  
Calleigh sighed with exasperation.  
"I'm always in a rush Lori."  
She gave her daughter a quick kiss, then turned to Eric.  
"Ready?"  
He grinned, and held up the car keys. She smiled, and followed him out the door, only turning back once to see Aimee watching her leave.

Once Eric and Calleigh were out of the door, Lori smiled and lifted Aimee into the air.  
"Ok then Aimee." She said.  
"What shall we do today?"

When Calleigh and Eric arrived at the crime lab, their shift was already in full swing. As usual, they both signed in, then went to join the others in the layout room.

As they entered, they were surprised to se only Natalia Boa Vista. She smiled at them.  
"Hey you guys. Aimee ok?"  
Calleigh nodded, with a frown.  
"Where is everyone?"  
"Oh they got a fresh call out this morning, so Ryan and Horatio are handling that while we carry on with the Gelwer case."  
Eric smiled with a sarcastic note in his voice.  
"Oh great!"  
Natalia laughed.  
"That's what I said when he told me!"  
Calleigh meanwhile, had grabbed her lab coat and was pulling it on. She tossed Eric his.  
"Lets get to work."

Four hours later, the team met up ready to take their lunch break. They were all chattering about their cases as they grabbed their money and began to head out to the local lunch bar. Calleigh had just started to get her hopes up, when Lori dashed through the doors, Aimee in her arms. She dumped the screaming child in Calleigh's arms.  
"I don't think I can do this job anymore Mrs Duquesne!" She cried, almost in tears.  
"She's just to attached to you."  
Calleigh nodded, resignation in her eyes. She turned to Horatio.  
"Well it did seem to good to last."  
He shook his head.  
"We can try and work around this Calleigh. You go home with Aimee now and I'll call you later ok?"  
She smiled.  
"Thanks Horatio."  
Then she was gone, Aimee in her arms and Lori following in her wake.  
Horatio sighed. Eric turned to him.  
"There's no way we can sort this out. Calleigh won't take to being a stay at home mom, you know she won't. And she can't exactly drag Aimee round some of these crime scenes for the next few years can she?"  
Horatio bowed his head.  
"I have a plan Eric. I have a plan."

Calleigh threw her keys onto the side as she came into the house, and plonked Aimee in her playpen. By now the child had stopped crying, and just watched her mom as she paced around the kitchen. Thoughts were racing through Calleigh's mind as she paced. She didn't want to quit her job, of course, that's why they had hired a nanny in the first place. But now that hadn't worked out, what could they do? She didn't want to have the pair of them working part time, they both loved their jobs and they needed the money in any case. Kids were expensive. After over an hour she collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted, and fell asleep.

She awoke to the sound of her daughter crying. The sound brought her back down to earth with a thud, and she began to cry herself. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she had forgotten about Aimee. She jumped up and scooped her daughter up. She held her close and whispered to her.  
"I'm sorry Aimee. I'm so sorry."

By the time Eric returned, she had put Aimee to bed and was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine. He sat down beside her ad put his arm round her shoulders.  
"Had a good day?"  
Her eyes flashed dangerously, and he almost backed off. With a sigh she turned to him.  
"What are we going to do?"  
He smiled.  
"We don't have to do anything."  
She frowned.  
"What are you suggesting? That we leave her here alone every day?"  
"No no." He smiled again.  
"Horatio has a plan."  
Although she said nothing, he carried on.  
"Paula. She's offered to keep Aimee with her during the day. Then if she needs you, you're just a call away and it won't disrupt your work."  
Calleigh looked at him, wordless.  
"She's willing to do that? For the next few years?"  
Eric nodded.  
"I know I was shocked. But it would work Calleigh. Then we can both keep our jobs and Aimee will be happy."  
Calleigh nodded.  
"Lets do it."

**Chapter 3 - **


End file.
